


Absence

by Heroic_Euphoria



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Infertility, Married Couple, One Shot, Romance, Sex, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 13:02:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18180956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heroic_Euphoria/pseuds/Heroic_Euphoria
Summary: After the war with Gangrel, Chrom & Robin get married and plan to have a family. However, two years go by with no success of having a child of their own, despite their methodical attempts. Peace ends and they return to the battlefield. As they travel, the future children of other Shepherds appear, yet no one comes to claim Chrom & Robin as parents. Soon enough they are the only couple left without a child, causing them jealously and frustration. Meanwhile, Lucina has been lurking in their world for years and hasn't told them the truth, and in her eyes, has never found the right time to. She eventually crosses paths with her best friend, who grows tired of her secrets.





	Absence

Marriage never came without its adversaries. However, what the royal couple took for granted  _ would be _ their difficulties were never the case. The day they married and waved to a crowd of thousands, Chrom and Robin  _ knew _ what their flaws would be. Chrom would be oblivious, he would be a goof and break things during training and cause Robin frustration as she had to contact the treasurer to pay repairs for the damage. Robin would push herself way too hard, working as Queen till she was exhausted and lulling at her desk, needing Chrom to cart her off to bed. In the moment, they accepted these flaws, vowing to work through their challenges together, just as they always had. 

What really caused them anguish was something they never anticipated. It was a slap in the face to all they had worked for, the peace they strove to cherish for their citizens and their family. Yet, they had no one to blame for this but, perhaps, _ themselves _ . Worse, they couldn’t help it. 

They couldn’t have a baby, no matter how hard they tried. 

On their wedding night, when they consummated, they acknowledged what they were doing could result in a child. They actually welcomed the idea with a bit of thrill, and they both secretly hoped that was the case. However, no such news ever came their way.  _ Oh well, _ Robin thought.  _ It might just take a few months. _

It didn’t take just a few months. Two years had gone by and no child. As the months dragged on, the couple grew frustrated. They had always talked about children, even before they married. When peace came, they wanted a family. They had worked so damn hard for this chance, yet, nothing. 

After about six months after their wedding with no success, Robin began to sense there may be something wrong. She consulted aged hardbacks in the expanse of the royal library, too embarrassed to speak with a cleric or midwife. What would they think if they found the Queen couldn’t bear an heir to the throne? What if rumors caught wind, and the noble courts started whispers suggesting the Exalt take on a mistress to extend his succession? It would crush Robin under the immense amount of weight on her back. She couldn’t fathom her husband touching any other woman in an intimate way, and the thought burned her skin. 

Robin took the book back to her chambers and read it with Chrom. They tried every single thing listed as a way to help conception. Some of it was a bit awkward, such as eating raw herbs or certain positions that were a bit  _ uncomfortable _ , but none of it lead to success. 

There was one day that nearly broke them. It was a year after their marriage, and months of attempts, many of which teetered on the edge of bizarre. Robin met with Lissa to have tea every Tuesday and Thursday, which was a break both of them enjoyed from their schedules. Lissa had taken Maribelle as her personal assistant after the war with Plegia, and together they worked on possible reforms to Ylissean law, reporting their ideas to Chrom and Robin and other councils. Her husband, Frederick, worked training new recruits  and creating new drills and techniques as second in command of the army behind Chrom. Robin worked as chief tactician, extending her skills in strategy to direct rebuilding efforts. Chrom tended to his many duties as Exalt. There was no rest for the members of the royal family. There was always more to be accomplished. 

When Robin and Lissa sat at the table in the tea room, Robin sensed something was off. Lissa seemed tired, which was out of the ordinary for her bubbly personality. Robin wasted no time questioning  her change of pace. 

“Lissa, are you feeling alright?” she asked. “You seem unwell.”

Lissa shrugged with a short smile. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Hm? Then it is something?”

“Yes. I’m pregnant.” 

Robin nearly dropped her cup of tea. A splash of the piping brew fell onto her hand and burned it, though the stung wasn’t half as much as what she felt in her heart. She swallowed. No one knew just how  _ desperate _ her and Chrom’s attempts at a child had been. There were whispers in the castle as always, questioning where the heir was, but they had deflected all of it. Now there  _ was _ an heir to the throne of Ylisse, but it wasn’t Chrom and Robin’s child.  Robin forced a smile through her sticky mouth. 

“Congratulations, Lissa.”

Later that evening, Robin sulked on the sofa in her chambers. She was dressed in her nightgown, though it was just passed supper. After supper Chrom said he needed to finish signing off on a few more papers in his office and would be in their chambers within the hour. Robin shrugged, too numb to care. She sat alone, in the dim light of the setting sun with a blanket wrapped around her frame and her knees pulled to her chest. 

When Chrom came into the room, she didn’t acknowledge him. She continued her sulking, blinking away tears in her eyes. He walked to the sofa and sat beside her. He hung his jaw, his mouth slightly open as if trying to chew those vile herbs they thought would grant them what they wanted. 

“I know,” he simply said. Robin nodded. Nothing more needed to be said for them to understand each other. Silence fell over the space. Robin continued her sulking, Chrom’s stare into the fading light pensive and self-absorbed. Finally, he spoke again. 

“Let’s try again tonight.”

Robin shook her head, tears bubbling in her eyes. “There’s no point, Chrom,” she respond with a bitter tone. 

Chrom sighed. “Robin--”

“I’m _ serious _ .” Robin huffed, her frustration and sorrow clear. “I got my monthly today. There really is no use in trying tonight. It’ll get us nowhere.”

Chrom sighed again, wrapping his arm around her. She leaned into him, her head on his shoulder. Another month had gone by and it burned with failure. 

Most folks, nobles and commoners alike, would find it incredibly undignified for a woman and man to be so open with each other when it came to their  _ privates _ . It was something no one talked of, a subject too taboo for even the husband and wife to pass by each other. Women dealt with their business alone and men acted as if when they had a problem it didn’t exist. After Robin’s comments the night they found out Lissa was expecting, Chrom always knew when Robin’s monthly was. Robin wasn’t as flustered about it as she expected to be, and accepted telling him when her undergarments were stained with their failures. Chrom tended excessively to her during those long seven days, fetching her sweets if she cared for them, making sure her discomforts were alleviated, rubbing his hands into her lower back, and preparing baths for her. She appreciated his efforts immensely, her mental state in shambles more than her physical. Chrom was determined to alleviate any hurt he could. He understood when she felt that uncomfortable ache in her back, it would only give her anguish, for the discomfort wasn’t from a growing child, yet the absence of one. If he could take that away by performing a few simple tasks he was more than willing. 

When her monthly was over, they would work towards trying again. There was always physical pleasure intertwined with their attempts, but sometimes, the vigor they put into creating a child over exceeded any gratification they could have received from their actions. 

Some nights after a long day, Chrom was tired to the bone. His muscles ached if he went to train, or if he visited Frederick in the barracks and offered to show a few recruits a technique. Sometimes he would train in the courtyard and put vehement emotion into each swing of his sword. He took out his frustrations, his sorrows, and anger on practice tools, wearing them down and breaking them with more frequency than usual. When he saw his sister begin to show the signs of pregnancy, it only heightened his strain during practice. Each time he saw her physique, it reminded him she was carrying the heir to his throne if him and Robin weren’t successful in having a child. He was happy for his sister, he truly was, but having his niece or nephew take his spot meant he would never be the father he dreamed of being. 

Those nights Chrom pushed himself too hard, he’d loathe himself for doing it. He’d watch his wife’s hopeful eye underneath him as he lifted her nightgown over her head. She'd loosen the strings to his nightshirt and he’s toss it to the floor. He’d cup her breasts and kiss them, earning a soft exclamation. Though she responded to him, it lacked a certain passion, the passion that comes with lovers that caress each other just because they want to, not because they’re desperately trying to accomplish something. When they made love, there was no doubt it was love. However, the flames of it were lacking due to the sheer amount of energy they put into creating the perfect conditions for conception. 

When he finished kissing her breasts, he would move downward to her midsection, vaguely hoping there was already something there they just hadn’t yet discovered. He’d place warm kisses there, then take the hem of her panties and pull them down and toss them to the floor. He’d caress her  femininity and her breath would hitch. He always liked the sound of her breaths when he did that, the sweet notion only  _ he _ could get her that way. 

Next she’d run her slender fingers over his toned and scarred torso. She’d kiss his imperfections, all the remnants of reckless abandon that marked his skin. Her hands would make their way to his groin and caress him there with her gentle touch. He’d exhale, a warm sensation along his skin. She’d pull his undergarments down and they would be tossed away. She’d touch his masculinity in methodical ways, ways she knew he liked. 

The nights he pushed himself too hard during the day burned him like hot embers being thrown at his head. She’d touch him and he’d touch her, and she’d be ready for him and his seed. Yet, he would have nothing to give her. Despite the sensual touches and soft breaths, he was not aroused whatsoever. It wasn’t because he didn’t love his wife, he loved her more than anyone. He was simply too exhausted. They’d try everything, but on these nights, nothing worked. He could not produce seed and it humiliated him. Sometimes he’d run his masculinity along her femininity, hoping it would spark  _ something _ , but it wouldn’t. However, it would arouse her to the point where she asked for him, despite him having no seed. He’d hand himself over and use the last of his energy to give her a small amount of pleasure. After her release, he’d collapse ontop her, feeling like a failure as a husband and a man. She’d hug him and whisper sweet nothings to him, telling him it wasn’t his fault, and it put a small amount of warmth back into his heart. 

The day Lissa’s son, Owain, was born seared their skin to the core. He was a lovely child, having the combined traits of both parents. Staring at the newborn, just hours old and in his mother’s arms, was one of the most difficult things the couple had endured in their marriage. Lissa had the sweat and matted hair of the post-birth mother, and in Robin’s eyes, it was as if she was glowing from the product of her anguish in childbirth. Robin was jealous and frustrated. When Chrom held his nephew, he nearly had a nervous breakdown. There was the unspoken knowledge that Owain was currently his heir, despite not being his son. Whispers of the birth of the next generation’s  _ heir  _ made the rounds of castle grounds, and after visiting with Lissa and Frederick, Chrom and Robin locked themselves in their chambers so they didn’t have to hear them. 

That night, they bedded each other three times in a row. They were moving with vigor and desperation that seemed heightened more than their usual efforts. Robin felt so selfish at their actions, not that anyone would find out. She couldn’t just be happy for her sister-in-law, she had to use it as an excuse to try for her own desires. It didn’t help matters that Lissa and Frederick had married after them and now had a child before them. 

When they finished, Chrom stood and went to ready a bath. They were both slick with sweat and exhausted, needing to feel the sensation of clean skin before setting off to bed. Robin listened as he readied the water, her thighs clenched tight and her ankles crossed. Chrom walked back into the room, his brows furrowed. 

“Are you okay, Robin?” he asked curiously. 

“Yes, I’m fine.” Robin nodded, staring at the scalloped high-ceiling of their chambers. 

“Why are your legs so tight? Are you in pain?”

Robin blushed. “No, I’m not in pain.”

“Okay….”

“I just--I just don’t want any of your seed to come out!” she said with a flustered tone. 

Chrom blushed in return. He bit his lip. “Robin...I’m not an expert in these things, but I don’t think that is going to do much?”

She sighed and threw her legs over the bed. “Maybe you’re right.”

After two years went by without a child, Robin was starting to lose hope. When word came that Valm was planning an invasion and Regna Ferox requested help in a quickly brimming war, Robin was so frustrated that  _ she _ was the one to kick over a potted plant and break the pottery. She cleaned it before anyone noticed, but the burn of her anger and sorrow was clear to herself. 

She was to reprise the role as wartime tactician, and Chrom was gathering the Shepherds to be their leading Captain again. This was a clear indicator that they couldn’t spend the nights in their sheets trying to conceive a child. Rather, they would be pacing strategy tables and getting reserves, marching from place to place, and fighting skirmishes. Lissa cried when she left Owain behind, and it put a strange taste in Robin’s mouth. 

The anguish of the royal couple only intensified when, during their travels, young adults started appearing claiming to be future children of the Shepherds’. Owain had been the first to appear, sporting a brand of the exalt on his arm. Chrom always tried to get Owain alone to ask him an aching question about the future he was from, but could never seem to find his nephew when they both weren’t preoccupied. Chrom was a busy man and Owain was as high-energy as his mother, bouncing from place to place. 

More children appeared. Cynthia, Sumia’s daughter, Kjelle, Sully’s daughter, and Laurent, Miriel’s son, were found soon after Owain. After them, many of the other Shepherds found their children, leaving Chrom and Robin empty-handed as no one came forward claiming them as parents. Robin was a bit more than miffed when she heard Miriel propose that Laurent could very well not be her son, and she had no proof to confirm it.  _ Why can’t she be happy she has a son?! _ Robin thought bitterly.  _ Why can’t she just accept it at face value? _

Chrom and Robin’s tensions were high the night their camp was invaded at Carrion Island. They had cleared the Risen before they could do damage, but there was a last ditch effort to injure Chrom. The mysterious  _ Marth  _ appeared, block the devastating blow with a yell of “Sir Chrom, please watch out!”and disappeared again. Adrenaline was running high as everyone returned to camp. The couple was  too alert to sleep properly. Chrom paced the tent as Robin sat on their cot. 

“Who the hell is that girl, anyway?” Chrom said. “She just pops in and out without a word.”

“I don’t know, but she keeps saving us,” Robin said with a shrug. “I wish she’d stay still so we could offer to repay her.”

The next day Chrom ordered a day of rest. The team was too exhausted to move just yet, and they needed to take a survey of their supplies and retrieve more if needed. Chrom and Robin hovered over the strategy table, trying to plan their next move. Not much was being accomplished. Robin twirled a strand of her hair, listening to Cynthia babble outside the tent. Robin clenched her teeth. Everyone seemed to have a son or daughter but her and her husband. She threw her quill down in frustration. 

“I can’t stand it anymore!” Robin exclaimed, tugging at her hair. “All these children and not a single one is ours.”

Chrom frowned. “I’m sorry, Robin. Perhaps we just haven’t found them yet.”

“I’m losing faith.” She sniffled. “I’m so sorry, Chrom. My womb can’t give you a child. It’s all my fault. What kind of wife can’t have children?”

“Robin...it’s not your fault!” Chrom shook his head. His eyes fell. “What if it’s me?”

“How could it possibly be you?”

“You know there are times I can’t produce seed. What if we missed our opportunity? Or, what if there’s something missing in my seed that keeps us from conceiving?”

“Chrom…” Robin frowned, wiping away the water in her eyes. “If you take a mistress, then you’d find out whether I’m defective or not.”

“No!” Chrom nearly shouted. “Owain can take my spot before I’d lay my hands on a woman that’s not my wife. I don’t care, if I can’t have a child with you what’s the point?”

“We could always raise it as our own…”

“No. I’d never do that to you. Why would I have my wife raise a child that her husband had that wasn’t with her? It’s not like I could stand to be with someone other than you, anyways!”

Robin licked her lip. “Try again with me. It’s been two months.”

“We can’t, Robin,” Chrom said, his tone soft. “I wish we could. But, we’re in a war right now. Our army needs its Captain and Tactician. We can’t pursue personal endeavors. Our soldiers come first.”

“So? It’s probably won’t work anyways.”

“But what if it does?”

“Then we’d finally be happy!” Robin insisted. “Besides that...I just  _ want _ you, Chrom. Is that a crime?”

“I understand, but we need to abstain.” Chrom sighed. 

“How about we touch...and not take it further?”

“U-Uh…” He flustered. “No thank you, Robin.”

Robin’s eyes widened. “Why not?! We’re not changing anything by doing that.”

“I couldn’t stand it if I produced seed that I couldn’t give you. What if it would’ve given us a child and I waste it on selfish gratification? I can’t stand thinking about  _ what ifs _ right now like that.”

“Why can’t we just try?” Robin pouted. 

“No, Robin. I’m sorry,” Chrom said, his tone patient. 

In the silence between them, they heard Cynthia’s continued babbling outside the tent. Robin snapped, emotions culminated over two years bubbling to the surface and spilling over. 

“Chrom,  _ fuck me _ on the table, right here, right now!” she said, standing to remove her coat. 

“What?!” Chrom stood, shock on his face. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I’m sick and tired of not getting what I want! We’ve done nothing but give everything we have to other people. I want to be selfish. I am selfish. So do it. Maybe it’ll work, maybe it won’t. But, each day that goes by is another day that could’ve worked.”

“Robin, I just told you--”

“I heard you, but I don’t want to hear it.” Robin grabbed his belt and tugged at it. “Take your trousers off.”

Chrom grabbed her hands. “Stop, Robin, stop! You’re frustrated. Take a deep breath.”

“What? Am I not beautiful enough for you? You’ve seen me naked in tents before, but this isn’t enough for you, hm?”

“I never said that.”

“Come on. Stop wasting time.”

“No, Robin.”

“What are you, not man enough?!” 

That was the comment that finally caused Chrom to snap. He grit his teeth, hurt and anger in his chest. Two years had gone by with patient understanding and supportive gestures. Now, repressed frustrations were being taken out on each other. 

“Why the hell would you say that?” he shot back at her. “I’m man enough to tell my frantic wife no!”

“Frantic?!” Robin shouted. “Is that what you really think of me?”

“That’s how you’re acting right now!”

“Please, Chrom! Just fuck me already!”

“No. I’m not having sex with you.”

“Ugh. If you don’t want a baby with me anymore, why wouldn’t you just say so?”

“Because I--” Chrom huffed with agitation. “I’m not going to get any-damn-where with you! Why should I bother?”

“Why don’t you bother with unbuttoning your trousers?”

Chrom lost his temper. He reached for his belt and tore it loose, tearing part of the leather. He unbuttoned his trousers, then grabbed Robin’s shoulders. “Is that what you really want? Fine! Turn the hell around!”

Robin winced at the slight pain in her shoulders. He kept trying to turn her around, to push her against the edge of the table, but she resisted. His eyes were flaming with anger and frustration, his tone aggressive. He had never spoke to her that way, perhaps to Gangrel, but certainly not her. Robin realized what they were about to do and tears of fear filled her eyes. She fought him, pushing on his chest to get him to stop.

“If you want me to fuck you, then turn around!” he spat, pushing on her shoulder again.

Tears slipped down her cheeks. “No, please, Chrom! Stop!  _ Stop. _ I’m sorry!” she croaked. “I’m sorry about what I said. Please just stop.”

Chrom let go of her, his eyes wide. What were they doing? This wasn’t love. Why were they doing this to each other? They were frustrated and jealous of the people around them, yes, but did that mean they should mistreat each other over it? He watched tears fall down his wife’s cheeks as she sobbed. He felt hideous, acting that way towards her. Frustrated tears of his own sprouted in his eyes. He wrapped her in a soft embrace and she didn’t flinch away. She hugged back, both of them sharing passionate apologies to each other. 

 

**~*~**

 

Lucina crept around the Shepherds’ camp. She was still  _ Marth _ to everyone but her friends, and she actively avoided them all. She had the chance to introduce herself to her father when she saved a blade from going into his chest, but she didn’t. She just ran away again, like she always did. Now that she found the camp, she eavesdropped on all the tents, looking for the right one. Every time she tried to find the right moment to introduce herself, it just never came to her. She was nervous and worried, one part of her thinking keeping her identity as Marth would be more efficient for her mission. Yet, all of her friends had found their parents and joined the Shepherds, leaving her alone. She could join them again if she just told her parents the truth, but it wasn’t that easy. So she listened to them from outside the strategy tent. 

When she heard the yelling and vulgar words, her ears burned. She didn’t know her parents were capable of such venom and it scared her. Especially so when she heard her father’s angry tone and her mothers cries. Did they not love each other anymore in this time? Perhaps introducing herself would only frustrate them when they were trying to get away from each other. No matter what she thought, hearing the argument hurt. She wondered if her parents would slip away from each other, after all, they were different versions from the pair she knew. 

“Hey, Lucy. Finally  decided to come around?”

Lucina startled at the voice. She turned, her friend Cynthia towering over her. 

“What are you doing lurking at the corner of the tent?” Cynthia asked. 

“I’m just...listening…” Lucina mumbled, her face red from the embarrassment of being caught. 

“What? Are you spying on your mom and dad?” Cynthia furrowed on her brows. “Wait...you haven’t introduced yourself to them yet, have you?”

Lucina shook her head. Cynthia huffed. 

“Come on, Lucina. Enough with the persona. You can be a hero without it! Let your true self shine through and join your mom, dad, and friends.” Cynthia sighed, shaking her head. 

“Did you hear that argument?” Lucina said. “They don’t love each other anymore. I’d only complicate things.”

“That’s ridiculous and you know it.”

“No, it’s not. I heard their voices. Things are just different here, Cynthia. It hurts, but it’s true.”

“What? Do you not understand what that argument was about? I didn’t really hear it, but it’s obvious.”

“What do you think it is?” Lucina sighed, her brow raised. 

“They’re upset because they are the only couple in camp without a child. They think they can’t have a baby, since no one ever showed up claiming them as parents. They’re in that tent sad and unhappy and here you sit.”

Lucina frowned. “How do you know that?”

“Everyone knows. It’s unspoken around camp.”

“Why wouldn’t one of you say something to them? Why wouldn’t you tell them I exist?”

“That’s not for us to do. It’s not our place. We know you’re here and capable of doing it yourself. Owain was close to telling them, but we convinced him not to.  _ You _ need to tell your parents the truth, Lucina. They want to hear it from you, not from us.”

Lucina stood. “Maybe you’re right, Cynthia.”

Cynthia smiled. “Of course I am! Here, I’ll help you get started.”

The two girls stood outside the strategy tent. There was bell attached to the outside, and anyone wishing to speak with Chrom and Robin rang it to get their attention. Cynthia grabbed the bell and pulled, a loud sound echoing the surrounding area. Lucina flinched. She wanted to run away, but couldn’t bring herself to. 

Chrom opened the flap. His face was tired, but any sign of his outbursts with Robin was hidden. He looked to Cynthia and sighed. He caught sight of Lucina and furrowed his brows. 

“What’s Marth doing here?” he said. 

“I know her. Please, let her speak with you,” Cynthia said. “She has much to say.”

“I don’t think we’re much in the mood for visitors.”

“Please, Lord Chrom.” Cynthia pushed Lucina forward. 

Chrom shook his head. Cynthia shot a glare in Lucina’s direction. She stiffened. 

“J-Just a moment of your time, m-milord!” she stammered. 

“Fine.” Chrom opened the flap wider to let her in. 

Cynthia smiled and walked away as Lucina entered the tent. She walked a few paces into the tent and saw the sprawl of a tactical map. She made quick eye-contact with her mother. Her eyes were red, but other than that, her face was clear of her earlier actions. She furrowed her brows. 

“Marth?” she said. “You’re Marth, aren’t you?”

Lucina nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Thank you for saving my life.” Chrom nodded. “Ylisse will repay the debt, just let us know what you want.”

“I don’t need any payment of that sort.” She paused. “There’s more about me that you should know.”

“Oh? Please tell us, then.”

“Cynthia said she knows me because I’m her best friend.” Lucina swallowed, sweat on the nape of her neck. “We fought the Fell Dragon together.”

“I see.” Chrom nodded. “Then, would you like to join the Shepherds and continue that fight with her? You are more than capable and we’d appreciate the help.”

“Well, yes, but I’m more than just Cynthia’s friend.” She was close to the moment of truth. She pushed away her nervousness. “My parents are among the Shepherds. All the other Shepherds have reunited with their family but me.  Everyone has found a child of theirs but you. Do--Do you see my point?”

Robin’s eyes widened. “Well, who are your parents?!” she asked with eagerness.

“ _ You _ . You are my parents. I have the brand of the exalt in my eye to prove it.”

Chrom stared into her eye. He leaned back as Robin joined his side and looked herself. They stared at her in awe and shock. 

“ _ Oh _ \--Oh Gods!” Robin said, her voice weak. “You’re our--Marth?!”

“My name isn’t Marth. It’s Lucina.” 

“Lucina…” Chrom said. “Ha...Ha...this is wonderful!”

“Chrom, Chrom, we have a baby.” Robin sniffled, tears already on her cheeks. “We really have a baby!”

“I’m the youngest of my friends...Cynthia and I are a month apart, but I was born last.” 

“It doesn’t matter. You’re here. Wow, I can’t believe this!” Chrom exclaimed. Chrom sniffled. “We have a daughter, Robin!”

Robin nodded and walked forward, wrapping Lucina in a tight embrace. Lucina began to cry at being in contact with her mother again. Chrom joined them, pulling them both into his chest as they shared a tearful reunion. 

 

**~*~**

 

“Hey, Lucina, wanna play a game?”

“Lucina, read this book with me! I just bought it!”

“We brought you candy, Lucina! It’s all for you!”

“Lucina, let us tuck you in and kiss you goodnight!”

Since joining the Shepherds, Lucina had become the tease of all her friends. Her parents were the tease of the elder generation as well. Chrom and Robin were so overjoyed at having daughter, that it was, at times, extremely overbearing. Lucina’s friends teased her at every turn, all in light fun, at how often her parents would show up and try to get her to do something with them. She’d sit down for a chat with Owain and Cynthia only for Chrom to come over and try to drag her away. She would  _ try _ to get some solitary training in when Robin would wave her tome in her hand and ask for them to spar. Lucina appreciated spending time with her parents, she really did, but she needed time for herself every once in a while. 

One night by the campfire, Lucina thought she had finally a moment alone to speak with Cynthia. It wasn’t long before that thought vanished as her father appeared in front of her. 

“Hey, Lucina!” he said with a smile. “Come cuddle with me and your mother!”

Lucina flushed with embarrassment as Cynthia chuckled. 

“Father, I’m a bit  _ old _ for cuddling,” Lucina managed to say. 

“Oh, right…” Chrom’s head fell, a hint a dejection in his stance. He perked back up, holding a book in his hand. “How about we read this together? You like to read just like your mother, right?”

Lucina leaned forward and looked at the book. “ _ Red Sheep, Blue Sheep?  _ Father, that’s for children!”

“Oh…” Chrom frowned. “Well, how about just...talk with us? Tell us about your time?”

Lucina stared at him. She sat and talked with her parents every night. Every time she tried to get away for a few minutes, they’d find her. It was only a few minutes, yet that was too long. Lucina loved her parents and wanted to get to know them again, but it wasn’t as if they needed to spend  _ every _ waking moment with each other. When Lucina would try to tell her father she had to do something, he always looked so  _ dejected _ . It really pulled at Lucina’s heartstrings, and she usually accepted his requests despite really wanting to do something else. 

“Okay,” Lucina finally said, standing up. “I’ll join you and Mother.”

“Great!” Chrom grabbed Lucina’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Soon enough, Lucina was sandwiched between her parents again on a log at their own campfire. They were toasting sweets at the fire again. Lucina was starting to get sick with the amount of sweets her parents gave her, but kept eating them so they wouldn’t get upset. Lucina took a cookie and put it in her mouth. She grimaced at the sugary taste. 

“What’s wrong, Lucina? You aren’t saying much tonight,” Robin said, sipping out of her cup. 

“I’m just tired, that’s all,” she mumbled. 

“Is your bed comfortable? I’ll buy you a new one, just ask!” Chrom said. 

“It’s fine, Father. No need to buy a new one.”

“What about a new blanket? New pillows? New nightgowns?” Robin asked. 

“No, Mother. I don’t need those things.”

“Are you lonely at night? You could come sleep with us!” Chrom suggested with hopeful eyes.

“Yes!” Robin said. “We’ll put you between us. The most comfortable part of the bed is always the middle!”

Lucina flushed. “No, I’m fine.” She paused. “Mother, Father, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but you’re trying to spoil me to the point that it’s a bit...overbearing…”

Chrom and Robin frowned. They glanced at each other, unsure of what to say at first. 

“I’m sorry, Lucina,” Chrom said, breaking the silence. “We were just so excited to have you and wanted to make you feel loved and...I guess we’re overdoing it…”

“Gods, Chrom!” Robin exclaimed. “We’re those...those  _ hovering  _ parents!”

“We really messed up, didn’t we?”

“You didn’t mess up,” Lucina said. “It’s just...I don’t need all these material things. And...I’m not a child. I’m your daughter, yes, but not a child.”

“We’ve been wanting a child so long that when we met you, we went a bit overboard.” Robin sighed. “When we do things like this, you’re going to have to reign us in, Lucina. Tell us we’re hovering. We can’t help ourselves sometimes, you’re our daughter and we  _ want _ to coddle you. But, sometimes you don’t need to be coddled.”

“Yes, I’ll let you know.” Lucina nodded. “ I love you, Mother, Father. Thank you for all you do for me.”

“Of course.” Robin smiled. “We love you, too.”

Chrom held a cookie in his hands. He swirled it around like a child. “Hey, Lucina! Here comes the cookie…” He paused when he saw his daughter’s disapproving face. “....monster…”

Robin chuckled. “Chrom, did you not just hear what she said? Stop  _ coddling! _ ”

Chrom flushed. “Right...S-Sorry?”

Lucina chuckled. Her parents were embarrassing with their antics, but she assumed it would die down given some time. She had heard her parents in her time speak about how long they had tried to have children, and how much effort it took to just have her. She was young when she heard these conversations, and wasn’t until she was older and her parents had long been consumed by Grima’s wrath that she understood it. She respected her parents’ struggles to give her life. She knew her parents were struggling with the same situation in this time, and when they found her, it overjoyed them to know that, at some point, they  _ would _ be successful. In addition, they had a daughter to spoil and coddle in the meantime. She couldn’t blame them for being overbearing. She was thankful to have a family again, and she would take their hovering every day over a life with their absence. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is quick one-shot I wrote in one night while I couldn't think of anything else to do :) I got this idea while writing my other story "Crown of Guilt" and decided to type it out and see how it went. I figured if Chrom & Robin were having fertility issues, then by the time they had Lucina, they wouldn't have had time or would've been unable to have Morgan before the Fell Dragon took over. :/ 
> 
> I hope you like the fluffy ending. I usually don't write one-shots, I hope it turned out okay! (I usually write long-fics!) Thank you for reading!


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